Flowerpot receptacle



Oct. 12, 1954 I I N, YQHE 2,691,245

' FLOWERPOT RECEPTACLE 1 Filed May 5, 1 952 A; ArrakA as Y:

F/ a. 3. I

Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOWERPOT R-ECEPTACLELester N. Yohe, Havertown, Pa. Application May'5, 1952, Serial'No'.286,066

6 Claims.

This invention relates'to flower-pot receptacles, trays or saucers.

The'c'onventional flower-pot is adapted to rest upon the inner face ofthe bottom of a flower-pot saucer, which saucer prevents moisture,incident to watering or fertilizing, from damaging a surface upon whichthe flower-pot might otherwise be placed, While water or solutions ofchemical plant food may be placed-in the flower-pot saucer,

tobe carried to the soil in the flower-pot, such water or solution willseek the same level in the pot as in the saucer andit is generallyundesirable to have a water table in the soilof the flowerpot, at leastto a height so the water touches the roots of the plant within the pot,nor is it desirable that capillary attraction carry'water or solutiontoo rapidly from a saucer tothesoil.

An important object of this invention is-to provide a flower-pot saucer,tray or receptacle, hereinafter called receptacle, which is providedwith triple function means to raise the bottom of a conventionalflower-pot above the inner face of the receptacle and to form holdersfor wicks or the like which are adapted to extend through theconventional opening in the bottom ofthe pot and conduct moisture to thesoil within the pot from water or solution within the receptacle so thatthe bottom may be above the level of the water or solution, yet thewater or solution will be fed tothe soil in the pot. Additionally, thismeans provides devices to strengthen a holder forming a part of the newreceptacle and to \be referred to next.

Another important object is to provide, in association with the meansjust described, a holder constructed and arranged to extend'through theconventional opening in the bottom of the flowerplotto limit shifting ofthe pot with respect to the receptacle and, in addition, to formportions of the wick holders.

A further important object is to-provide a onepiece receptacle for oneor more conventional flower-pots, having the novelfeatures describedabove and which may be readily molded, and the wicks subsequentlyinserted quickly and without diinculty.

Yet another important object is to provide means to raise a flower-potoff a flat surface so that air may enter through the conventionalopening in the bottom of the flower-pot.

Additionally, an important object is to provide receptacles forflower-pots which receptacles are readily cleaned, may be stored innested condition, and are of pleasing appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following. detailed description of the invention,taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a portion ofthis disclosure and in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionof the new receptacle, with two conventional flower-pots associatedtherewith.

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the new receptacle.

Fig. 3- is a fragmentary vertical section of a modification ofthereceptacle of Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown twoforms of the invention and wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter Adesignates a conventional flowerpot; B, one form of the invention and 0,another form thereof.

Thefiower-pot A is shown as provided with a downwardly-convergingtruncated, conical wall Ill joining a bottom wall H and defining anupwardly-openingf cell IE to receive, for example, drainage materialover the bottom wall ll, soil and a plant or plants (not shown). Thebottom Wall I i is provided with a small central circular opening i3extending to the cell 52.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the form B of the invention preferablycomprises an integral receptacle i5 having opposite end walls It joiningopposite side walls Hand all joining a bottom wall E8. The walls It andil may diverge upwardly to a mouth l9 so that an upwardly-openingflower-pot-receiving chamber 20 is provided. The upper edges of thewalls it and ll may be rolled as: at 2! and the junctures of the wallsIt" and Il and it; I? and iii are preferably curved.

Extending upwardly from the bottom wall it" is one or more preferablytruncated-conical holders or projections 25, each constructed andarranged'to'extend through an opening it of the flower-pot A:Intermediate its ends, the diameter of the holder 25 is slightly lessthan the diameter of this opening. The holder 25 is'provided with meansto accommodate portions of wicks 35 which comprise the walls of aplurality of grooves 25 which extend from the base of the holderupwardly to open, at their upper end, to the upper face 21 of theholder. Preferably, there are four such grooves 25 and they provideholders for portions of the wicks 35 to be subsequently described. Thisstructure provides means both to limit shifting of the flower-pot A,when the holder 25 is inserted into the opening l3 of the flowerpot asin Fig. 2, and to provide portions of the wick holders for associationwith the structure next to be described.

Preferably extending upwardly from the bottom wall 18 are pairs ofspaced-apart horizontally elongated walls 38 which may be integral withthe bottom wall 58. For example, there may be four pairs 3! of suchwalls 36 extending to the holder 25 and with the longitudinal axes ofthe channels 32 thus formed by the walls 39 and adjacent portions of thebottom wall it, spaced 90 apart. The channels 32 open to the grooves 26.It will be noted that the heights of the walls 33 are the same, and eachwall 39 may have a height, for example, of three-quarters of an inch.However, the height of each wall may be greater or less than this. Theupper edges 33 of the walls 33 are preferably flat and thesespaced-apart pairs of walls raise the bottom walls ii of the flower-potsA above the bottom wall E8 of the receptacle 15. In addition theyprovide holders for portions of the wicks 1'35 and, moreover, providemeans to strengthen the holders against breaking off at their bases,since the receptacle l5, holders 25 and walls may be of ceramic or otherhardened plastic material. I

It is n w clear that the flower-pot A, mounted upon the holder 25 andupper edges 33 of the walls 31 can neither shift nor cant excessively tothe extent where it will accidently tip over.

The wicks 35 may be elongated lengths of suitable material as cellulosefabric, fiber glass strands or the like. Preferably the lengths arecylindrical and they fit into the channels 32 but do not extend to theupper edges 33 of the walls 39 but fill in the grooves 26. This tends toprevent soil from washing down through the opening it in the bottom wallH of the flower-pot A. While four wicks are shown, it is now clear twolengths may be provided for each holder 25 with the intermediateportions of the two wicks extending over the upper face 2? of theholders 25.

The form C of the invention, shown in Fig. 3 is exactly like the form Bexcept that the holder (-6 is not grooved but its means to accommodateportions of the wicks 35 (the wicks being alike in either form) is atleast one bore fi-l ext-ending in substantial parallelism to thevertical axis of the holder and open, at its lower end, to channels i2,and with the upper end of the bore ll open to the upper face of theholder 69. Otherwise, similar reference characters are employed for bothforms.

In the form B, the wicks 35 are simply laid into the grooves andchannels 82 while, in the form C, the wicks are readily threaded throughthe bore 6! and extend along the adjoining channels The level of thewater or solution in the receptacle iii is preferably maintained belowthe upper edges 33 of the walls 3t, so that there will be no water tablewithin the cell IQ of the flowerpot A.

While accommodation is made for two flowerpot in Figs. 1 and 2 thereceptacle l5 may accommodate one or more than two flower-pots,depending upon the size of the receptacle and number of holders andpairs 3| or the walls 30.

Various changes may be made to the forms of the invention herein shownand described without departing from the spirit of the invention orscope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A soil-watering receptacle for a flower-pot having a bottom drainageopening, said receptacle having walls, including a bottom wall, defininan upwardly-opening reservoir chamber; means to limit shifting of saidflower-pot when within said chamber and to provide a wick-holder,comprising an elongated projection extending upwardly from said bottomwall and constructed and arranged to engage the wall of said opening andprovided with an upper face and wick-receiving opening extending intosaid projection and to said upper face; a wick of moisture-conductingmaterial disposed within said wick-receiving opening; and means tosupport said flower-pot above said bottom wall, andL to provide achannel for said wick and strengthen said projection, comprising a pairof spaced-apart, substantially parallel walls extending upwardly fromand secured to said bottom wall, extending to said projeotion and, withthe adjacent portion of said bottom wall, defining a channel mergingdirectly into said wick-receiving opening, with the longitudinal axes ofsaid wick-receiving opening and said channel intersecting, with aportion of said wick within said channel.

2. A receptacle according to claim 1 characterized in that saidwick-receiving opening is a groove with the wall surfaces thereofarcuate in transverse section and said wick fits snugly within saidgroove.

3. A receptacle according to claim 1 characterized in that saidreceptacle comprises an integral structure.

4. A receptacle according to claim 1 characterized in that saidwick-receiving opening is a bore.

5. A receptacle according to claim 1 characterized in that saidwick-receiving opening is a bore extending longitudinally of saidprojection.

(-3. A receptacle according to claim 1 characterized in that saidwick-receiving opening is a groove, said, groove is of substantially thesame depth throughout its length and said Wick substantially fills thegroove from upper to lower ends of the groove.

References (lit-ed in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 1,216,642 White Feb. 20, 1917 2,120,599 Brown June 14,1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 183,168 Germany Apr. 2, 1907453,258 France Apr. 5, 1913

